Alice Sweet Alice
by darkkfaery
Summary: A cute oneshot about Alice returning to a restored Wonderland's tea party. She's nervous to see an old friend, but she's not the only one. WOOHOO for Penguins! R&R! HXA


**Author's Note: My fingers are twitching uncontrollably to write something! So I figured, why not Alice? Woo! **

**This piece is different from my other one's, also least I forget different from just about all the other AMA fanfics, I think... well at least the ones I've read so far.**

**Please I do say go easy on me! It's my first fluff filled fic I'm posting... (Wow, say that five times fast).**

**And, yes this is an Alice/Hatter pairing for those who were wondering.**

**Let the oneshot BEGIN!**

**Disclaimer: If I owned AMA, pigs could fly… so apparently I don't.**

* * *

'_This feels wrong, I don't think I can do this on my own,' _Alice mused, walking down the bright familiar path to the Hare's notorious tea party scene.

She was invited hastily to her long lost friend's party not too short after the demise of the wicked Red Queen. Of course she was relieved to know her friends were kind enough to do so. But the wretched churn in the pit of her belly knew that they still remained such loyal friends after all the macabre bedlam that had happened before. But then again, it was always madness to begin with, including her friends.

'_Friends,' _she smiled, knowing peacefully that she still had some.

Brushing away her stark crimson hair from her face, she timidly looked up from her feet and stopped. Before her rested a long stoic table with countless of puffing and tooting tea pots, with two of her closest friends sitting opposite to each other. The Hare and the Hatter.

She held her breath and watched them from afar amidst the lush green pasture behind the Hare's den. Wonderland's beauty was restored and more utterly luscious than she could ever remember. But her feelings were far off from repaired.

"Perhaps if I leave now, they won't notice I was here," she turned only to be startled by a less mangy feline that went so steadily by the name Cheshire.

"Or perhaps you should face your fears just like before," his infamous grin stretched abroad, "I highly doubt you'll want another bloody mishap on your hands."

"Of course not, Cheshire! But! But–"

"The only but you should be talking about is your rear which should be sitting itself on one of those chairs," he huffed; tail limberly swaying from side to side.

Alice sighed heavily, her face pale and distraught with decision, "Of all the battles I must face, I'd be gladly to choose any other than this," she peeked a look over her shoulder.

"What, confronting a long lost love?" he cackled loudly.

"Shut up! They'll hear you, you stupid cat!" she crouched low, smothering his lips with both her hands.

He gave way and ceased his tongue from further speech. Silence followed and it gave her time to calculate the meaning of the words he just spoke. Heat rose to her face and she violently whipped her gaze to his.

"And what exactly do you mean by long lost love? You're crazy!" she hissed.

"I _know_. You don't need to tell a mad cat he is mad, goodness. Are you sure that Psyche Ward released you?" he provoked her, determined to get her to see her friends.

"Cheshire!"

"Oh come off it, Alice! It was a joke, honest."

She stood and placed docile hands on hips. 

"Honest?" she inquired, raising a brow.

"Good God, woman, your worse than the momeraths!" he screeched, apparently on purpose.

She winced, "Shhhh–"

"ALICE!" a familiar voice rang happily behind her, "She's arrived, Hatter! Look! Look!"

Spinning around, Alice giggled and politely waved at the two. Quickly she spun right round again, preparing to give a good beating to the cat. But there she found a mere gleaming smile and his manic driven laugh as it vanished before her eyes.

"May God have mercy upon your soul, because I sure as hell won't once I find–" 

"Oh Alice! We're waiting!"

Her lips pursed and eyes closed, "Someone help me."

* * *

"Good heaven's, child! How you've grown!" the Hare boomed charismatically, "Don't you agree, Hatter?"

Alice slouched in a very un-girl like manner upon the red velvet embroidered chair. When she heard no response, her subtle green eyes slightly rolled up to see the mad man squirming in his seat. At first she immediately recognized his outrageously large hat, towering high above the party. And then she couldn't help analyzing his pale porcelain face young as ever although accompanied by white snowy hair and silver eyes that shifted anxiously as they seemed to never dare cross way to Alice. 

'_He seemed far older than I remember him as a child, let alone when the Queen of Hearts reigned. He looks… he looks… okay I guess,' _she couldn't reverse the fact that she was blushing.

"Oh don't bother about him, dearest!" the Hare chortled, shattering her thought.

Her gaze struck back to the brown over sized rabbit.

"He's been acting like this ever since I invited him to the tea party! Honestly that hat maker!" He waved his arms violently about in the air.

She turned her attention to observe the agitated man again, but suddenly she caught him in a mesmerized state, dreamily watching her instead. Endless seconds later he found himself caught red handed and quickly looked away.

Gasping softly she reached for the nearest cup of tea and downed it, looking up to the trees and sky as she smiled profusely within her beverage.

To her dismay she had finished all the tea with almost one gulp so without looking elsewhere but the table she searched and searched for a kettle filled with piping hot water. But an even more dreadful predicament fell upon her. Within all the dozens and dozens of kettles and tea pots, she found not one full container.

The Hare watched with amusement at first then stood and pushed in his chair, "All out already? Sorry, dear but it looks like I'll have to get some more. And while I'm at it I'll whip up a batch of my delicious cream puffs and cheese danishes! How's that sound?"

The table just about flipped over as the Hatter leaped from out of his seat.

"I'll aid you!" he cried.

Alice swallowed loudly, _'Oh please do that.'_

"Don't be ridiculous you fool! You'll leave our guest all by her lonesome!" he walked away, stepping onto the back of his porch and into his home, "You two play nicely now!"

'_Damn his manners.' _She glared hotly as he shut the door.

"Alice?" his low tender voice echoed through her thoughts.

It was the first time in a long time she heard that familiar voice that she couldn't put to rest, not even beside her parents.

She faced him again but looked beyond him, too afraid of what absurd question he might come up with, "Yes, Hatter?"

"Do you… Well it is t-that… Can you–" he stuttered heavily with his words.

Finally she summoned the courage to look at him, it was a pitiful sight. He fumbled with his fingers; his head dipped low in shame as her heart ached until she could stand it no longer. With more boldness she ever held in any fight, this took the most out of her. She slowly raised herself from her seat, walked around the enormously narrow table, and plopped down beside the man in the hat.

"Don't be afraid to ask me anything, Hatter," she smiled.

He saw this sight and sighed, grinning in return.

"Do you…" his smile gradually faded, "Do you think I'm evil?"

Her lips instantly curved downwards, "No. Don't ever ask that again."

Oblivious to her reply, he slumped back and fiddled with the sugar cubes, "You simply must loathe my existence. I was far too weak to try and overpower the Queen. But I tried, Alice! I really did! I attempted relentlessly to help you… to protect you. I'm so sorry that I failed you."

'_If you only knew how hard it was to face you then, how evil __**I **__was to destroy you.'_

"Don't blame yourself," she rested her hand upon his, "you're foolish to think you were weak against her. As far as I'm concerned she had you become something completely different than yourself in order to fulfill her deeds."

He frowned, "All this talk of the past makes me sick."

She giggled aloud, "Well then, Hatter. I believe what I'm trying to get across is that I praise you for doing all that you could to protect me."

"Shouldn't you be forgiving me? I tried to kill you!" he turned his hand and held on to hers firmly.

"I don't need to forgive you for something _you_ never did!" she grinned.

"I! Err… touché," he rubbed the back of his neck.

Giggling, "Besides, _I_ was the one who killed _you_."

Alice's hand left his and slipped dolefully upon her lap, fingers tousling the light fabrics of her yellow summer dress. Her expression remained dull and unanswerable to the Hatter as he shifted in his seat closer to her.

"You didn't really kill _me_, Alice. You know that."

He brushed away crimson hair that covered her face and neatly tucked it behind her ear.

"I know, but the thought of it alone has consumed me, I've lost much sleep over it as well," she stated.

Shocked at her remark, he sat very still; dumbfounded by the thought of Alice thinking of him before she slept. Then suddenly he jerked his whole body with excitement, startling the girl almost out of her chair.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"I must inform you of these fascinating creatures I read about just the other day!" he wriggled happily.

Her eyes went slightly wide, "You read?"

His facial features became flabbergasted by her inquiry, "Of course I do! I may be mad my dear kind friend, but I am most certainly _not_ capable of learning… err I mean I **am **capable of learning, I say!" he smiled wearily. 

Her timid demeanor became relaxed and cheery once more.

"My apologies," she giggled, hand on chest, "You can resume your story now."

Clearing his throat, "Right well, did you know that the Aptenodytes Forsteri remains faithful to its one partner for all it's life? Never choosing any other!"

Taken back a bit she asked, "The what does what?"

"Penguins! Alice, penguins! The aquatic flightless tuxedo bearing birds of wonder! They stay with one mate for all the life they live!" his smile splayed almost as wide as Cheshire's had earlier.

"Cute," she giggled, "But it seems a little impossible don't you think?"

"Impassible! Nothing is impossible!" he corrected.

Alice rolled her eyes, a flutter ensuing within her chest, "Right."

Hatter stirred a little at first and then turned his chair, completely facing Alice. He fixed his hat and readjusted his large blue bow tie, then made quite sure his posture was straight and poised. 

"_Hatter?_" she grew pale and apprehensive of his next move.

Ignoring his name, he softly took both her hands and gazed far into the depths of her stark emerald eyes. Paralyzed, she didn't dare to look away from his bright silver orbs either.

"Of all the time I have ever known you, each moment you weren't with me seemed more and more dull than moment before." 

The tips of her dark brows slightly curved upwards. Deep inside her being dwelled an unavoidable thumping of her heart thrashing wild against her ribs to be let free.

"Alice sweet Alice?" he lulled. 

She replied breathlessly, "Yes?"

He smiled softly, his hands tightening around her own as he asked, "Will you be my penguin?"

She couldn't help but laughing at how adorably kind he was being with her. As she did so, his grin faded into a frown.

"You needn't laugh, say no instead," his head drooped.

"Oh nononono! I didn't mean to, you just caught me off guard is all," she said, lifting his chin with her finger, "That is simply the most charming thing anyone has ever asked me, Hatter."

His eyes lit up, "Really?"

"Yes, and if you weren't so sweet you'd make sugar taste like salt," Alice joked.

"REALLY?" he clamored about, his hands diving into the table in search of a cup of salt and then suddenly halted, "Wait you never answered my question, Alice."

'_By Jove he's right.'_

"Of course I'll be your penguin," she said, closing the space between her and the madman and pressed her lips firmly against his. At first his body tensed then she felt him relax and slump further into passion.

"And what was that about mercy, Alice?"

The cat's voice chirped just below them. They instantly parted and Alice nearly tipped out of her seat again.

"CHESHIRE!" she screamed as the Hatter simply chuckled.

Just then the happy go lucky Hare slipped from his home and out with several trays of pastries.

"Oh the more the merrier, Cheshire!" he beamed.

"Don't worry," Hatter whispered smoothly in her ear, "I was just as nervous as you were."

The party continued with more and more guests that arrived by the hour. By the time evening dragged in, just about all of Wonderland's restored creatures were happily sitting at bay; drinking all the tea they could to welcome back their heroine. And only two were the wiser, of exactly how meaningful her return was. Hand tousled in hand beneath the table.

**_The End._**

**In this current fan fiction I was definitely aiming for the "Aww" factor. So please out of the kindness of your mentally deranged hearts read and review please, so I  
may know if I was successful or not! Thank You for reading!**


End file.
